SILVER CITY - Get ready for summer, because the Mimbres Region Arts Council's Silver City Blues Festival is back, May 28-30. Known as the Southwest's premiere, free Blues Festival, the 15th annual event brings not only the brightest rising stars of the Blues, but classic and acclaimed performers to downtown Silver City's Gough Park.

Presented with additional activities, a farmers' market and an art gallery tour, this is a true Blues lovers' experience.

Back for the second year due to popular demand, Soul Kitchen featuring the pipes of Hillary Smith will ignite the Friday-night kick-off dance. This year at a new location, the Flame, 2800 Pinos Altos Road, the event will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight for $12.

Saturday and Sunday performances at Gough Park are free to the public and begin at 12:30 p.m. This year's headlines include Guitar Shorty and Mollie O'Brien and the Hamkickers Club.

Saturday, May 29, will feature: The Continental Blues Band with special guest Kas Nelson, the New Orleans sounds of The GumboProject, Roadhouse Hounds, The Lionel Young Band and headliner Guitar Shorty. The party will then move to the Red Barn Lounge for the Saturday night jam session featuring the Roadhouse Hounds and many of the groups from the daytime lineup, for just $12.

Sunday, May 30, will showcase: Silver City favorite Edie & the Silver Blue Roots, the David Booker Duo, Diane Van Deurzen & Lisa Otey with Heather Hardy, Tony Furtado and headliner Mollie O'Brien and the Hamkickers Club.

Two guitars will be raffled during the festival. The first is a handcrafted grand-auditorium model with a cutaway, claro walnut back and sides, a spruce top and curly maple bindings. This piece of artwork made by Luthier Scott van Linge is worth $4,400.

The second is a Fender model No. FR-50 resonator dobro acoustic, great for bottle neck slide playing or regular style, valued at $499.

Tickets for the raffle are $5 each, available at the MRAC office, website and at the festival. The drawing for the Fender will be held Saturday evening, May 29, just before Guitar Shorty.

The drawing for the grand auditorium will be held May 30 at 5:45 p.m., just before the Mollie O'Brien performance.

For those who are more interested in playing with gadgets than guitars, Patrick Conlin and Rodger Koest of Prudential Silver City Properties have generously donated one of Apple's new innovative iPads, valued at $500.

The iPad will also be raffled just before the Mollie O'Brien and the Hamkickers performance on Sunday.

In addition to performers, the Silver City Blues Festival attracts vendors from across the West each year. Handmade and one-of-a-kind fiber arts pieces, pottery and jewelry can be found in the Artisans Courtyard framing the park. While browsing and shopping, festival-goers can also stop at one of the many food vendors to sample a variety of traditional festival and ethnic foods.

A local Farmers' Market will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot just to the south of Gough Park where local growers will share their produce and plants.

The Art Walk through the historic art district is also planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, in downtown Silver City. For maps and details, refer to one of the Silver City Blues Festival Program Guides or visit the MRAC website at www.mimbresarts.org.

For details, call MRAC at (888) 758-7289 or (575) 538-2505, email: info@Mimbresarts.org or visit www.mimbresarts.org